TSN: Farhan Lalji on the Vancouver Canucks mid-summer checklist: Short-term and long-term salary cap questions.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
The Vancouver Canucks still have a few items to address this offseason on their check-list, but given their current salary cap situation, that could prove to be a challenge. Right now the Canucks find themselves close to $4.3 million over the cap and there are some questions around the health of Tanner Pearson.
General Manager Patrik Allvin does believe Pearson will be ready for the start of training camp. If he does play this season, the Canucks will then be close to $1.8 million over the cap. So moving money will be a priority still, much like it has been for the past couple of seasons.
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And it’s hard to imagine where those moves will fit but the Canucks will have to find a way and they do have depth needs throughout their lineup, both in terms of scoring depth upfront and some experience depth on the backend and potentially even in goal. But again it doesn’t look the Canucks will be able to address many of those needs. They’ll be looking for some internal improvement there.
Another priority for Vancouver is going to be trying to get Elias Pettersson signed to a extension. That doesn’t have to happen this offseason. The player is still under club control for the next couple of years. The two sides are talking. Certainly the club would like to get it done now, believing the cap will only go up next season but also the market for Pettersson could also go up.
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Now the Sebastian Aho extension could prove to be a blueprint. Many believe whatever contract Pettersson signs with Vancouver, that number will start with a ten.
So again, some challenges for the Canucks in terms of both short-term cap situations and trying to get their best player under contract.
